Foldable smartphones likely to debut by year-end 2018

The world's first wave of foldable smartphone is likely to make its debut at the end of 2018 as a number of brand vendors are accelerating their R&D efforts on related projects, according to industry watchers.

Samsung Electronics has applied patents related to foldable smartphones in Korea and the US and is expected to unveil its roadmap for its foldable models in 2018, according to a Korea-based ET News report.

Samsung has been developing smartphones with inward-folding displays since five years ago and has completed up to 80% of the manufacturing process of related products, said the report.

Apple has also applied a number of patents for clamshell smartphones, including one for a tri-fold display design, according to the watchers, adding that Apple could also use its folding technology in products other than smartphones.

Meanwhile, as information revealed at the website of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Huawei has applied for a patent for a single display screen that can be folded in the middle. The application for this patent was submitted in September 2017.

Huawei is expected to unveil its first foldable smartphone by the end of 2018, making it the first brand vendor to launch such devices, said the watchers.

LG Electronics also applied for a foldable smartphone design with the WIPO in August 2017. LG's foldable smartphone design calls for the connection of two screens, and the screen can display information such as time, weather and battery level when folded.

Other major smartphone players in China, including Oppo, Lenovo and ZTE, are also joining the ranks in developing foldable smartphones.

Oppo has applied patents for foldable smartphones first in 2017, and again for other patents in 2018, with patent authorities in China. Meanwhile, Lenovo has unveiled a foldable smartphone prototype whose display can be extended to 7.8-inch from 5.5-inch when opened. Lenovo has not yet announced a timetable for the production of the foldable smartphone.

ZTE has unveiled a foldable smartphone prototype with its screen connected by two pieces of display panels at MWC 2018, although the prototype is hardly a truly foldable model.

Global shipments of foldable smartphones are expected to total 700,000 units in 2019 and further expand to 30.4 million in 2021 and to 50.1 million in 2022, according Strategy Analytics.